This provoked a frustrated Karthik to brand Paul “racist” and sparked an expletive-ridden furious reaction from the actor who was later called to the Diary Room for his behaviour.

However Karthik, 34, now says Paul, 38, wasn’t being racist but he did make him feel “mocked and ridiculed.”

He told The Sun Online: “In hindsight no [he wasn’t racist], I probably let my emotions get the better of me as well.

“On my first day I wore a T-shirt that said ‘The Big K’, and I believe I have a nice sounding ethnic name, it’s Karthik, but for some people it is difficult.

“But in spite of that I felt mocked and ridiculed [by Paul].

“And then there was a task I had to get him drinks, so his attitude for repeatedly saying my name the wrong way, plus the way he ordered me around felt bad, so that’s the way I responded the way I did.”